Hailing from the Northern Texas town of Mineral Wells, Giovannie Yanez got his start in music at 17. Heartache prompted his first foray into songwriting, and simultaneously, he performed at local dive bars while working at a rock quarry.
Giovannie’s schedule at the time saw him play gigs until 3 in the morning before waking up for work four short hours later.
“It was tough as hell,” recalls Giovannie of his early days blending his music interests with real-world demands. Despite those days of little shut-eye, Giovannie never lost sight of his goals. “I don’t think I’ve ever hit a peak on writing music or come close to quitting. You don’t just quit something you love. Even if I were to get old and broke as shit, oh well. At least I went after my dreams. I didn’t start doing this to get rich. Music is an outlet for me. My motivation during that time was to quit getting up at 7 am after going to bed at 3 am — cause no one likes doing that.”
ED Magazine caught up with Giovannie of Giovannie and The Hired Guns, courtesy of StripJointsMusic.com, to discuss the keys to a dynamic live performance, his days working at a pawnshop, and the band’s single “Ramon Ayala”.
ED: Giovannie, you worked at a pawnshop — how true to life is the show Pawn Stars and what is your most memorable transaction at said pawnshop?
GIOVANNIE: It kind of is, but with way more crackheads. One time this girl came in that was obviously rolling and she said, “this is my ear massager.” I was like get that fucking thing away from me! It was a small vibrator.
ED: What’s the key to a great live show — what’s your most memorable live show (either performing or attending)?
GIOVANNIE: The key to a great live show is having an extreme amount of fun and interacting with your fans! One show that sticks in my mind is Green Day. I saw them on the Hella Mega Tour this year and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I strive to be able to put on a show like that one day.
“I don’t think I’ve ever hit a peak on writing music or come close to quitting. You don’t just quit something you love. Even if I were to get old and broke as shit, oh well. At least I went after my dreams. I didn’t start doing this to get rich. Music is an outlet for me.” — Giovannie Yanez
ED: What’s the most humbled you’ve been meeting a fellow musician — can you talk about how that interaction went?
GIOVANNIE: One time, I met the man … Ben Nichols from the band Lucero. He is a huge inspiration to my craft: his style, rhythm, whiskey choice. He is also a hell of a songwriter.
ED: Have you found during the pandemic you’ve relied more on music than usual — either as a means of escape, combating boredom, having more time to experiment, etc.?
GIOVANNIE: The pandemic made me realize the important things in life, which are making me a better person and musician. I really feel the vibes and live in the moment. That is how I like to live my life and it is how I write my songs. The pandemic has allowed me to do that more. I’m evolving, as we all are, and the pandemic allowed me to realize that fully.
ED: What do you have planned as far as live shows for 2022?
GIOVANNIE: Lots and lots of shows in 2022.
ED: StripJoints services DJs at gentlemen’s clubs nationwide, so, in your words, why would “Ramon Ayala” be a good choice to play at a gentlemen’s club?
GIOVANNIE: Ramon Ayala is a fun and sexy song. Who doesn’t like fun and sexy? Sexy women all over will love dancing to it and everyone at the club will be a rockin’.
